LU's Carter, Saur earn honors as TSUS regents' professors

The Texas State University System has honored Lamar University professors Keith Carter and Pamela Saur as regents’ professors, the system’s highest faculty award.

System regents recognized Carter and Saur as “exceptional and outstanding” professors who have achieved excellence in teaching, research and publication, as well as community service, “demonstrating in performance of their duties an unwavering dedication to their students, universities and communities.”

The office of regents’ professor is a lifetime designation bestowed by the TSUS board of regents on tenured faculty members who have been acknowledged by their peers and students as exceptional and recommended by the TSUS Foundation board of directors, the chancellor and the university president.

By their qualities of mind and character, Carter and Saur have brought great honor to Lamar, the system and the state of Texas, according to resolutions in their honor. The two received official recognition and accepted plaques bearing the resolutions during a regents’ meeting Feb. 11 in Austin. The honor also carries a $5,000 cash award. Carter and Saur are among five recipients for 2010.

A professor of art, an internationally acclaimed photographer and a faculty member since 1989, Carter holds the Walles Chair in Visual and Performing Arts. He earned honors in 1998 as both university professor and distinguished faculty lecturer. Saur, a faculty member since 1988, is a professor of German in the Department of English and Modern Languages. In 2007, Lamar honored as both university scholar and university professor.

Carter has achieved such excellence that he is the sole individual in the history of Lamar University to be tenured and promoted to the rank of professor with a bachelor’s degree, according to his regents’ resolution. “This recognition is based on his service to the faculty, his extraordinary talent, hard work and personal commitment to the university.” Carter graduated from Lamar in 1970 with a bachelor of business administration.

Through outstanding scholarly pursuits and unique talents in the fine arts and photography, the resolution continues, Carter “has been recognized internationally and taught workshops and master’s classes at universities, galleries and studios throughout the world, bringing recognition and acclaim to Lamar University and TSUS with each exhibition, article and lecture.”

“Mr. Carter’s teaching excellence . . . and service to his community, as a donor of his work to charitable causes and his contributions to The Texas State University Systems Centennial Commission Project, exhibit the outstanding character that is mirrored in his work.”

“Teaching is its own reward, especially when you are teaching something you love,” Carter said. “However, it’s always an honor to be recognized for it, and I’m grateful.”

Saur has achieved excellence as an outstanding teacher, eminent scholar and valuable member of the Lamar community, according to her resolution. Through outstanding scholarly pursuits, the resolution continues, Saur has produced more than 100 publications, including books, book chapters and reviews, encyclopedia entries and journal articles, as well as acting as editor of peer-reviewed professional journals. She also has chaired the Undergraduate Curriculum Council.

The resolution concludes: “Dr. Saur exemplifies the highest commitment to her students and community, teaching 26 courses in a variety of areas while providing translation services, in-service training for teachers in public schools and lectures for members of her community.”

Saur earned bachelor of arts, master of arts and doctor of philosophy degrees from the University of Iowa and a master of education from the University of Massachusetts.

“I am greatly honored and pleased to receive the title of regents’ professor and to accept it on behalf of Lamar University,” Saur said. “I am deeply grateful to Lamar for its support over the years. Lamar has enabled me to develop my own particular talents and interests in order to make my best contribution to my students, community and the larger world of scholarship.”

Previous recipients of the honor from Lamar University are Thomas Ho, professor of chemical engineering, (2007) and Jean Andrews, professor of deaf studies and deaf education (2008).

Other 2010 TSUS regents’ professors are John Baccus, university professor of biology, and David Butler, distinguished professor of geography, Texas State University, and Alessandro Bonanno, professor of sociology, Sam Houston State University.

The only LU faculty members who may be considered for this honor are current faculty who have been recognized as university professors or as former LU System regents’ professors, said Steve Doblin, provost and vice president for academic affairs. A faculty committee selects the nominees at the same time it chooses university professor and merit awards recipients, Doblin said.